Award-winning blog for book reviews, author interviews, and anything writing-related.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Interview with mystery author Rebecca M. Douglass

Today is the fifth interview
in a series with the authors of

Tick
Tock: A Stitch in Crime

An
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

About
the anthology:

The
clock is ticking...

Can a dead child’s
cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48
minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city
ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing
gumshoe stay out of jail?

Hand-picked by a panel of
agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into
jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time
is wasting...

“Each story is fast paced,
grabbing the reader from the beginning.”

- Readers' Favorite, 5 stars

Founded by author Alex J.
Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and
authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly
blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly
newsletter. www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

After a
lifetime of reading, and a decade or more of slinging books at the library and
herding cats with the PTA, Rebecca began to turn her experiences into books of
her own, publishing her first in 2012. That failed to quiet the voices in her
head, but seemed to entertain a number of readers, so she wrote some more,
which generated still more voices. Despite the unlimited distractions provided
by raising sons to the point of leaving home (and preparing to move without
forwarding address if necessary to retain that empty nest), not to mention the
mountains that keep calling (very hard to resist the urging of something the size
of the Sierra Nevada), she has managed to pen a total of 7.9 books (the 8th
is due out soon).

For those who enjoy murder and mayhem
with a sense of humor, Rebecca’s Pismawallops PTA mysteries (Death By Ice Cream and Death By Trombone, and the soon-to-be-released
Death By Adverb) provide insights into what PTA moms are really like. If
you prefer tall tales and even less of a grip on reality, visit Skunk Corners
in The Ninja Librarian and the
sequels Return to Skunk Corners and The Problem of Peggy. For those who’ve
always thought that fantasy was a bit too high-minded, a stumble through
rescues and escapes with Halitor the Hero,
possibly the most hapless hero to ever run in fear from any and all fair
maidens, should set you straight.

Why does
Rebecca write so many different kinds of books (there’s even an alphabet
picture book in the mix!)? We could argue that it’s because she has a rich
lifetime of experience that requires expression in—squirrel!

Welcome, Rebecca. What do you enjoy most
about writing short stories?

I enjoy
writing short stories partly because they are a manageable size—you work on one
for a few weeks and it’s done, unlike a novel! But I also enjoy constructing a
story and making it fit into the smaller, tighter space. That’s a challenge and
a good exercise. I also appreciate that short stories give me the freedom to
play with genres I wouldn’t otherwise try.

Can you give us a little insight into a
few of your short stories – perhaps some of your favorites?

“The Tide
Waits” is my first short story published outside of my own blog. I publish
flash fiction there most Fridays, and have a wide range of stories from silly
tales for children to science fiction and weird genre mashups (but never horror
or erotica). I enjoy circling back to characters and settings that were fun and
writing more about them, so that I have a number of mini-series about
characters as diverse as Gorg the Troll and Xavier Xanthum, Space Explorer.
Gorg will have his own book if all goes well, but most will remain bits of
flash fiction.

What genre are you inspired to write in
the most? Why?

My published
books fall into 3 genres: cozy mysteries (for adults), fantasy (for kids), and
tall tales (for all ages). I am inclining more toward the mysteries, but I
enjoy somewhat unconventional fantasy (as well as conventional fantasy), and
will probably continue to write in several genres.

What exciting story are you working on
next?

My big focus
right now is my novel, Death By Adverb,
which is due March 28. But I’m also working on a couple of fantasy shorts.

When did you first consider yourself a
writer?

About the
time I first learned to write! I remember writing little stories from a very
early age, and wanted to be a writer from childhood. I probably count myself
“really a writer” from when I submitted my first novel to agents (for which I
apologize to the agents). Even so, I don’t think I took myself seriously as a
writer until after I published my first book, The Ninja Librarian. That was when I realized that I had to treat
it like a job if I wanted to go anywhere with it.

How do you research markets for your
work, perhaps as some advice for writers?

Here’s where
I show that I’m not quite a pro: I don’t research markets. I write what I want
to write, and hope that there are some readers who share my taste!

What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?

I’m not sure
I have any interesting quirks! I do struggle to write when anyone else is
home—yet have no problem doing so in a crowded cafe!

As a child, what did you want to be when
you grew up?

A writer!
Well, when I was in grade school I wanted to be a famous writer with a giant
horse ranch.

9 comments:

Thanks for hosting me today! I see I had my usual trouble with calendars and thinking ahead--that book that was "coming March 28" did make it, and is out there now :) It's exciting to have 2 books out at once, and I'm learning tons from the other anthology writers!

I like the idea of circling around to write about characters again and maybe expand on what they do and who they are. Love the title of your book. Those adverbs do tend to strangle prose when over-used.

I like writing in different genres too, but mystery will always be my favorite. I'd love to write a memoir but hate talking about me. LOLAnd my biggest fail is the cozy. I just can't seem to find a niche in that. Although, I have been considering a blog called 'observations from the patio'. Too bad you can't solve a murder while sunbathing or maybe you can???? :)

I'm listed!

Blog Tour Partner - Goddess Fish

Followers

About Me

I'm a NH native and love New England. I love writing about the region, exploring it on foot, on my bicycle, and in my car. There are so many small communities and fun and interesting people in this area, that I could be here a lifetime and not do all it is I want to do. :)

I'm a moderator at The Writer's Chatroom that hosts live chats with guest authors on Sunday nights 7-9PM EST. Join the e-mail list to get notifications of upcoming guests, then stop in and join the conversation!